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v R. H. SOULEr Pressure Regulating Valve. No. 237,624.

(No Model!) Patented Feb. 8,1881.

",PEYERS. PNOTmuriioeflAPr-IER. WASHINGT UNITED- STATES PATENT OFFICE,

RrcHARD H. soULE, or BALTIMORE, MARYLAND.

PRESSURE-REGULATING VALVE.

SPECIFICATION forming part of Letters Patent No. 237,624, dated February 8, 1881.

Application filed May 6,1880.

To all whom it may concern Be it known that I, RrcHARn H. Source, a citizen of the United States, residing at Baltimore, in the county of Baltimore and State of Maryland, have invented certain new and useful Improvements in Pressure- Regulating Valves; and I do hereby declare the following to be a full, clear, and exact description of the invention, such as will enable others skilled in the art to which it'appertains to make and use the same, reference being had to the accompanying drawings, and to letters or figures of reference marked thereon, which form a part of this specification, in which- Figure 1 represents a side elevation of a device embodying my invention. Fig. 2 represents a central vertical section of the same, showing internal construction.

My invention relates to that class of "alves or other cutoffs located in pipes or other closed conduits,bymeans of which the supply through said pipes or conduits shall be automatically cut'oif when any desired limit of pressure has been attained.

Although my invention is designed more particularly for use in connection with the system of air, steam, vacuum, and other pneumatic brakes upon railroad-trains, it will be obvious that it is applicable to a great variety of other useful purposes. One of the troubles in the use of these power-brakes is the frequent sliding of wheels due to overpressure of air, steam, or other fluid in the brake-cylinders. The pressure at which the wheels of a given car will slide is dependent on several factors, such as the weight of the car, the leverages of the brake-gear, and the area of the piston of the brake-cylinder. It therefore frequently occurs that in a given train the sliding pressures vary largely for the different cars. Now, the present prevailing custom is to endeavor to limit the maximum pressure of air, steam, or'other fluid throughout the train, by means either of a safety relief-valve or of judgment exercised on the part of the engineer in regulating the admission of fluid under pressure to a point slightly below the least of the sliding pressures of the cars; but this practice is objectionable for two reasons. In the first place, under those conditions, an engineer is very liable to overcharge the brake-cylinders,

(N0 model.)

which the valve, respectively, is attached, in-

dependently ot' the sliding pressure of any and every other car, and so the maximum efficiency of the whole brake apparatus would be realized, while it would also be rendered impossible that any of the wheels of the cars of the train should be slid.

To accomplish this desideratum and obviate the defects in the manner of braking trains, as before set forth, I have devised my present improvement, which consists in certain new and useful peculiarities of construction and relative arrangements or combination of parts, all of which will be fully described, and then pointed out in the claims.

Referring to the drawings, A represents a cylinder, screw-threaded at both ends, and provided with a valve-chamber, a, piston-chamber c, and air-chamber 0, having an opening, o for the escape of air in thedownwardmove; ment of the piston.

A represents the inlet to the valve-chamber, and B the outlet. All air, steam, or other fluid supplied to the brake cylinder must pass through the valve-chamber a in the direction of the arrows. On the brakes being released, the air, steam, or other fluid passes from the brake-cylinder out through the valve-chamber a in a direction opposite to that indicated by the arrows.

The construction of the apparatus, as shown in the drawings, embodies a valve, 0, mounted on a spindle, D, which may have, under certain conditions, a limited amount of motion in the direction of its length, which will hereinafter he set forth. Lower down on the spindle is mounted a piston, E, having a suitable packing, and which fits a truly cylindrical chamber, 0, below the level of the outlet B. Intermediate between the inlet A and outlet B, in the chamber a, is a partition, F, in which is formed the seat 0 of the valve 0. The spin- 2 237,62&

dleD has formedonit, nearits lower end, a collar, G, which normally bears against the un' der side of the partition H, formed in the easing, and which is pierced with a central opening, through which the spindle D plays. Between the collar G and the collar I, on the lower springplug L, is a spring, M, which may be set to any desired degree of compression by the adjusting-screw J. This screwJ works through the screw-plug N of the casing. The valve 0 is mounted upon the upper end of spindle 1), and its valve-stem c is received into a guide or way formed on the lower side of the screw-cap 0.

The operation of the device is as follows: The air, steam, or other fluid to be supplied to the brakecylinder or diaphragm glNISSQS from the inlet A through the valve-chamber a, and nnder'the valve (3 to the outlet B, and by it to the brake-cylinder. The supply of air, steam, gas, or other fluid continuing to pass in through the apparatus, there will be no alteration in the relative positions of the different partsof the apparatus until the pressure on the upper side of the-piston E shall become equal to the tension of the spring M, which is hearing against the under side of the collar G. The supply of fluid still continuing under pressure, the gradual downward movement of the spindle D and its attached parts will-ensue until the valve 0 becomes seated, and the supply through the valve and device thereby shut off, after which there can be no further increase-of pressure in the brake-cylinder or diaphragm or below the valveU. Above the valve 0, however, the pressure may continue to increase to any extent. Should the air, steam, or other fluid be exhausted 'from the chamber above the valve 0, thelattcr would lift from its seat immediately after the pressures above and below the valve had become equal to each other.

By means of the adjusting-screw J the tension of the spring M may be-adjusted to any desired point of cnt-ofl -that is, the valve may be made to seat itself and prevent the further accumulation of pressure beneath it at any desired pressure.

Instead of a spring, some othermechanical device mi ghtbe used for affording the requisite resistance to the downward movement of the valve.

The device would work with good results in a horizontal or other position, as may be deemed desirable.

K represents a lug attached to the casing, the object of which is to provide a means, in connection with the holes through it and the headof the adjusting-screw J, for introducing a seal or look of any suitable form, whereby any tampering with the valve by unauthorized persons would be made apparent.

I am aware that an automatic regulatingvalve constructed with a diaphragm and provided with a spring-box, in combination with a flexible diaphragm, a valve, and a connecting'stem, as shown in Letters Patent granted .to B. Holly for a regulating-valve for servicepipes, reissued May 23, 1871, No. 4,395, has heretofore been employed. and '1 therefore lay no claim to such constructiom my invention being confined to thedetails of construction pointed out in the claim, in which the flexible diaphragm of the inventiondisclaimed, which is liable to become loose and inoperative or broken, is entirely dispensed with, and the parts so arranged as to render the construct-ion different, and more effective and certain in their operation.

Having described my invention, what I claim as new, and desire to secure by Lettors Patent of the United States, is-

The combination, with the cylinder A, screw-threaded at both ends and provided with the inlet and outlet pipes A B, valvechamber a,havin g partition F, with valve-seat 0, piston-chamber e, and air-chamber 0, provided with the air-hole 0 .,ot' the spindle D, carrying the piston E, valve 0, and collar G, casing P, having stop-partition H, plug L, having collar I, spring M ,and adj listing-screw J, the whole constructed,arranged, andoperated in the manner-and for the purpose set forth.

=In testimony whereof I aiiix my signature in presence of two witnesses.

RICHARD H. BOULE.

Witnesses:

H. A. HALL, F. B. Bnoorr. 

